Mt Chudalup Summit Walk Trail

Situated 16 km south of Northcliffe just off the Windy Harbour Road, Mount Chudalup towers over the surrounding karri forest.

The climb to the top of this 185 metre granite dome is steep in places but well worth the effort. Mt Chudalup is a granite outcrop in the D’Entrecasteaux National Park, on the way to Windy Harbour 16km south of Northcliffe.

Mt Chudalup, known as a monadnock, rises abruptly from the surrounding sedge and heathlands. This massive block of granite is fringed by Karri and Marri forest. The summit offers magnificent 360 degree views of the surrounding D’Entrecasteaux National Park and the coast beyond.

The best way to experience the fantastic views over the National Park and beyond is to take the Summit Walk Trail which leaves the picnic shelter at the carpark and leads up through karri and marri forest which gives way to peppermints, grass trees, snottygobbles, banksias and sheoaks.

One you reach the top of Mount Chudalup, you can enjoy sweeping views of the coast and surrounds, including the Meerup and Doggerup Dunes, the Southern Ocean, D’Entrecasteaux National Park and the Shannon Forest.

From the top you can see also the patterns of the land that give D’Entrecasteaux National Park its unique character. It is a transition between the coastal belt and the tall forests. Continuous lashing by the Southern Ocean winds has created an extensive sand dune system. These coastal dunes have blocked the flow of streams and creeks trying to empty into the ocean. Over time this has created a chain of lakes and wetlands extending from the Broke Inlet in the south to Lake Jasper (the largest freshwater lake in the south-west) north-west of Mount Chudalup.

Once you reach the granite section, look out for the amazing diversity of mosses and lichens. This granite outcrop is home to 42 species of moss, 28 species of lichen and 6 species of liverwort. They are an integral part of the complex ecosystem that exists on this “granite island”.

Be aware that the granite can be slippery in wet weather and there are steep drop offs on the summit.